


A Starry Night

by killjoychaos



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Band, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26585224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killjoychaos/pseuds/killjoychaos
Summary: Gerard and Frank take a small detour on the way home from the gig.A short interlude set near the end of Ch.18 of "monsters are always hungry, darling" (by Brennuvargur).
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	A Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Brennuvargur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brennuvargur/gifts).
  * Inspired by [monsters are always hungry, darling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23846857) by [Brennuvargur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brennuvargur/pseuds/Brennuvargur). 



> All credit for the characters and their personalities, as well as inspiration for this non-exactly-canon-but-it-totally-could-have-happened spin-off of the story chapter 18 goes to the author, Brennuvargur.
> 
> This is the first fic I've ever published. I hope I do them justice. <3

Gerard didn’t want the night to be over yet. 

The night sky was clear and dark with no sign of the moon as they drove home from the venue, David Bowie played softly on the radio while Frank babbled something about the absolute genius of the Beatles record Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. He waved his hands around animatedly when he talked, and it made Gerard smile at how passionate he was about music. It reminded him of how passionate he used to be about art when he was at Frank’s age. He frowned at the thought, then shook the memory from his mind.

Gerard stared out at the night sky as they waited at a stoplight, and, suddenly remembering something he had read about that morning, he made a spur-of-the-moment decision, which surprised even himself. He took the next turn, detouring off their route towards Frank’s apartment.

Frank didn’t even realize that Gerard had diverted off their usual route, he was so absorbed in his monologue about the Beatles.

Gerard’s hands started to sweat a little and he began to second-guess his decision. This was stupid. Frank would just laugh at him and ask him to take him home. 

“Hey G, are you driving a different way to my apartment than usual?” Frank asked suddenly.

Too late. Gerard swallowed, giving himself a moment to think of an explanation. He decided to just go for it.

”Uh yeah, I thought taking a little detour to would a be nice change of scenery...” 

Frank raised an eyebrow skeptically, but a small smile was playing at the corners of his mouth.

”Okay, as long as you’re not planning on kidnapping me and murdering me in some creepy part of town,” he said, laughing.

Gerard laughed half-heartedly.

”Uh, no, that’s not the plan,” he said, shaking his head at Frank’s ridiculous imagination.

Frank smiled and turned up the radio as the next song came on the air, saying, “Oooh this is one of my favorites!”

Gerard listened to the lyrics:

“Try to realize it’s all within yourself  
No one else can make you change  
And to see you’re really only very small  
And life flows on within you and without you.”

He saw Frank mouthing along to the lyrics out of the corner of his eye.

He slowed the car to a stop and put it in park.

”Here we are!” he announced, his pounding pulse betraying how he felt. Stupid - so stupid.

”Uh, where is ‘here,’ G?” Frank asked, bewildered as he took in the scene around them.

They were in a park overlooking the city. It was very dark, and a large field stretched out in front of them. It was the sort of field people would be playing with frisbees, footballs, or their dogs during the daytime. Of course there was no one here now.

The city lights shone up from below, but the sky was still dark and clear enough to see the stars fairly well. There were trees around them but none which blocked the view of the city, which was also easy to see due to the field sloping gently downward in front of them.

”I was kidding about the whole murdering me thing,” Frank quipped, looking around with a puzzled expression on his pale, beautiful face. 

Gerard shifted in his seat to face Frank and asked solemnly, “Frank, do you trust me?”

Frank met Gerard’s eyes with his own, looking up at him quizzically through his dark lashes, and then he smiled, “Of course I do!”

Gerard smirked, “Okay, then let’s go.” He turned the car off and opened the door, stepping out into the dark night, and headed towards the trunk. 

Frank had gotten out the passenger side, and was hanging back while he gazed at Gerard with wide eyes. Gerard glanced up at him, now holding the large folded blanket and electric lantern he kept in the trunk in case of a snow emergency and laughed at Frank’s bewildered expression. His laugh rang out loud and clear in the otherwise silent night.

”You should see your face, you look like I’m about to pull out an axe or something,” he said, still chuckling as he shut the trunk and walked towards Frank.

Frank looked mortified, and it was difficult to see in the dark but Gerard thought he could have been blushing.

“Follow me,” Gerard said, leading the way into the clear grassy field. The grass was mostly dead or dying now that it was autumn and the first frost had already come, but that didn’t matter. Tonight the weather was unseasonably warm, perfect for being outside in just a hoodie or a light jacket.

He set the lantern down on the ground, tapping the button on top so the light shone out softly on the lowest setting. He shook the rather large, thick blanket out and arranged it on the ground. 

Then he turned to where Frank stood beside him and said, “Every year around this time there is a meteor shower, and on clear nights like tonight it’s very easy to see them, the ‘shooting stars.’ I thought maybe we could watch them for a while before going home.”

Frank’s eyebrows shot up and Gerard grimaced. This was a stupid idea. 

“That’s...wow that’s really cool, G. I’d love to watch the shooting stars with you,” Frank breathed, stepping towards Gerard and placing his hand on the side of his face, stroking his cheek gently with his thumb. “So you do have a romantic streak in you, huh?” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, then briefly pressed his lips to Gerard’s, just a whisper of a kiss. 

”C’mon,” he said, sitting on the oversized blanket and patting the spot next to him. His dark hair fell into his face as he glanced back up to see if Gerard was following him.

Gerard’s breath hitched as he looked at Frank in the soft light of the lantern. Frank’s wide hazel-green eyes caught the light and… and what was Frank thinking, actually wanting to spend time with someone like Gerard? 

Gerard inhaled deeply then sat down next to Frank, then they both leaned back to gaze up at the night sky. As Gerard’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to see even more stars shining out like tiny diamonds lying against inky black fabric. He tried to recall some of the constellations he had learned when he was a kid, but he got distracted watching Frank, who was gazing up at the sky attentively. 

They had been silent for a few minutes when Frank pointed suddenly, making Gerard jump a little.

“There’s one!” he exclaimed, and Gerard redirected his gaze to where he was pointing. A small fireball was shooting across the black sky and eventually fizzled out.

Frank turned and grinned at Gerard, happy that he had seen the first shooting star of the night, and Gerard’s heart thumped a little faster... or was that his imagination?

“You’re supposed to make a wish,” he said, unable to keep himself from smiling back at Frank.

”Oh, yeah!” Frank chimed in with enthusiasm. “But you can’t tell anyone what your wish is, or it won’t come true.” Gerard nodded and hummed in agreement as they both turned their attention back to the sky.

After another minute or so, Gerard spotted one, and pointed wordlessly, drawing Frank’s attention to it.

”Did you make a wish?” Frank asked quietly when it had burned out of view.

Gerard was glad it was probably dark enough that Frank couldn’t see him blush.

”Uh... y-yes,” he said stammered, carefully adding, “But I can’t tell you what it was.”

Frank turned towards him. “Maybe I could convince you to tell me?” He bit his lower lip, his lip ring glinting in the lantern light, and Gerard made himself look away.

”No,” he said firmly, “That defeats the purpose because if I tell you, it won’t come true. And I want it to.”

”Okaaayy, fine,” said Frank shrugging, but he was smiling again.

After a few more minutes, Gerard lifted his arm and began rubbing his own neck, which was beginning to feel a little sore from holding it in the same position, and Frank noticed.

”Your neck won’t hurt if we lay down,” he said softly, almost a whisper. And before Gerard could respond, he had lay down so that he was completely on his back next to Gerard. 

Gerard sighed resignedly and lay down next to Frank, but kept about a foot of distance between them. 

“Look,” Frank said softly, as if he might spook Gerard, raising his hand towards the sky. Another meteor blazed across the darkness. 

They were silent for a moment then Frank said, ”I made a wish that time,” and he was grinning at Gerard with a knowing look. 

Gerard smiled and kept his eyes upwards, trying not to think about the fact that he was lying next to Frank. Trying not to remember what had happened earlier at the venue. Trying not to think about the feeling of Frank all over him, kissing him, touching him, and the look in his eyes that said he NEEDED him. But he wasn’t doing a very good job of not thinking about it. 

He sighed quietly, then he felt Frank’s warm hand and callused fingers closing over his own hand, which had been resting in the center of the blanket. Frank laced his fingers together with Gerard’s as they both gazed up at the night sky, watching the falling stars.

Gerard’s vision went a little blurry - that was... unexpected. He reached up with his free hand and wiped his eyes. He couldn’t remember a time in his life that he had felt this way. He was so used to denying himself any shred of happiness or what he wanted that this... the feeling he got just being with Frank... just being HIMSELF and not being judged by Frank for who he was... it... was just a little overwhelming.

Frank turned towards him after silently pointing out another meteor.

“Are you okay, G?” he asked gently, squeezing his hand.

”Yeah,” Gerard whispered, trying not to betray that he had been tearing up just a little bit. “I’m fine.”

Frank’s hair fell back from his face as he faced the sky again. He gestured in front of them to the west at three brighter stars that seemed to form a triangle.

“Do you see those two lower stars in the triangle?” he asked, and Gerard said, “Yes.”

”Well, I read somewhere that those two lower stars, Altair and Vega, they’re two lovers that got stuck up in the sky. Vega was an immortal goddess who lived in the sky and fell in love with the mortal Altair, and she promised him that she would bring him to the heavens so they could be together. But Vega’s father was an asshole, and disapproved of their love, so he cursed Altair. He cursed him by granting Vega’s promise to bring him to live in the sky as a star like Vega, but with the catch that they would always be separated by a huge river in the sky, the Milky Way.” Here, Frank gestured between the two stars and Gerard could just make out the “river” of the Milky Way, in spite of the light pollution from below.

”So... what happened to them?” Gerard asked slowly, entranced.

”Well, when Vega used to visit the mortal world, she made many friends, including birds. She especially loved corvids, liked magpies, ravens, and crows. They loved her so much that every year, on the seventh night of the seventh moon, they would build a bridge of magpies across the river in the sky, sacrificing themselves so that Vega and Altair could be together for just one night of the year. But some years, even the magpies can’t hold the bridge for long enough for Altair to cross, so during those years Vega cries because she can’t reunite with her lover, and her tears fall to the earth as rain.”

Gerard lay there in silence for a moment, taking in the story.

”Wow. Um, that was a beautiful story,” he breathed finally. 

Frank turned to him and smiled, “I thought so, too.” 

Gerard smiled back. A few more meteors streaked across the sky as they watched in silence once again, Gerard enjoying the warmth from Frank’s hand holding his own. 

After a few minutes, Frank wiggled over closer to Gerard until their sides were touching. Feeling Frank’s warm body pressed against his side made Gerard realize that he had actually been feeling a little bit cold, so this was okay. It felt nice. Frank slowly, gently lay his head against Gerard’s shoulder, still keeping their fingers entwined. Gerard inhaled deeply, trying to steady his breathing.

“I wonder what people will say about me once I’m dead and gone,” Frank mused quietly, not looking away from the stars. 

Gerard squeezed his hand, “Hmm… I bet they’ll say you were a wonderful musician, if that’s what you decide to do. I’m sure that whatever you do, you will be amazing at it and inspire a lot of people with your passion.”

“Wow,” Frank said quietly, “That’s really sweet of you to say, G. I hope that eventually I can be in a band, and if I can help even one person with my music… that would be enough to make it worth it.”

They went silent for a few moments.

”I know what they’ll say about me,” Gerard said, with a wry twist of a smile.

“And what’s that?”

”Nothing,” he laughed, but it had no mirth this time. “They’ll have nothing to say because I accomplished nothing meaningful with my life. So they’ll make up something about me being a nice guy who will be missed and then dump me in the ground to be eaten by the worms.”

Frank frowned, and Gerard started then shook his head. “Oh my god, that was so dark, I’m sorry,” Gerard apologized, placing his hand over his face and turning away in embarrassment.

“It’s okay, G. You don’t ever need to apologize for talking about how you feel,” Frank reassured him, reaching over to cup Gerard’s face with his hand and turning Gerard back to face him.

Gerard thought that if any of his family members had heard him say that, he’d be required to get an immediate psychiatric evaluation.

“Hmm...” Gerard murmured, seeming lost in thought. He had begun to mindlessly trace small circles with his fingers on the back of Frank’s hand that still cradled his face. Frank shivered and let out a small sigh, closing his eyes for a brief moment, but Gerard didn’t seem to notice.

“I guess since we are all made of starstuff, we’re both going to end up back out there eventually,” Gerard said, breaking the silence. 

Frank was looking down at Gerard’s hand still tracing circles on his skin, but Gerard followed his gaze then quickly pulled it away to gesture at the sky. “There’s another one — no two more,” he said, avoiding Frank’s gaze.

Frank glanced up at the sky for a moment, finally dropping his own hand from Gerard’s cheek. “Well, if that’s our final destination,” Frank said with a grin, “Then I hope we end up on the same side of the Milky Way.” 

Gerard thought that his heart was going to burst.

“What?” Frank asked, taking in the strange expression on Gerard’s face. “I don’t have any bird friends, so I’d have no other way to visit you!”

It was silent for a beat - then they both burst out laughing at the same time. 

Gerard rolled onto his back, not even attempting to restrain his laughter, and Frank pressed his head against Gerard’s chest. Gerard thought Frank’s laugh was one of the best sounds he’d ever heard. 

When their fits of laughter had finally ceased, Gerard turned back onto his side facing Frank, and Frank lifted his head from Gerard’s chest.

”Thank you for watching the stars with me, Frank. I was afraid you would think this was stupid,” Gerard said quietly, still smiling, but looking down at the blanket.

Frank leaned in towards him, gently raising Gerard’s chin until their eyes met, “It’s not stupid. Not at all.”

Then he kissed Gerard, soft and slow, and Gerard kissed him back, gently placing his hand on Frank’s waist. Frank’s mouth still tasted sweet from the milkshake they’d shared earlier, but Gerard forgot all about that when Frank tangled his fingers in Gerard’s hair and pulled him in closer to deepen the kiss.

When they finally broke away from each other, Frank’s eyes were glistening in the lantern light and he smiled blissfully at Gerard.

Gerard tore his eyes away from Frank after a moment and glanced at his watch in the dim light of the lantern. 

“It’s after midnight,” Gerard said softly. “I should get you home.”

Frank scrunched up his face in disapproval, “Or what? I’ll turn into a fucking pumpkin?” he asked, giggling a little at the thought. “You know I’m not a Disney princess, right?”

Gerard shook his head, trying not to smile and failing. “Definitely not, but we really should get going.”

Frank squeezed Gerard’s hand again. “Okay,” was all he said.

As they gathered everything up and packed it back into the trunk, Gerard thought about how self-indulgent he had let himself be tonight. He would do better after tonight... he hoped. After all, it had just been one night - the first night that he could remember feeling truly happy in… well, it had been a very long time.

They got back into the car and drove away as the stars watched in silence.

<3


End file.
